Lineup:
Phil Lesh, John Molo, Jimmy Herring, Paul Barrere, Bill Payne


This show is one of only two featuring this particular lineup. Jimmy Herring played a couple of nights mid-tour to fill in for Robben Ford, and instantly asserted himself as the catalyst for this fiery little crackerjack up in Michigan. The big highlight of this show is the blazing 35-minute Other One > Mirror > Other One sandwich, which sends the crowd into a frenzy. It’s safe to say most of the Pine Knob regulars had never seen a live Cryptical Envelopment before, and the pure thrill buzzing around the venue feeds right back into the music. The guitar tones are fantastic; Herring’s has some real bite to it, and his notes fly and whip around above the stage like a cyborg Chinese dragon. Paul Barrere chops away with a bright, classic fender tone that’s remarkably similar to what Bob Weir uses today. Paul primarily stakes out a crafty rhythm guitar role, but also leans into some really sharp solos in the Garcia tunes. His Little Feat bandmate Bill Payne chimes in wonderfully with rollicking piano lines and toasty organwork.

Phil fans will really enjoy this one. For an amphitheater audience tape, his bass comes through nicely, and in Ford’s absence he assumes the majority of the vocals! By Summer 2000, the synergy with Molo was already off the charts, and Jimmy Herring connects with them to form a snarling triangle of blistering jamouts. Part Phil Lesh Quintet, part Little Feat, this band really packs a wallop!